The new President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides was sworn in on Tuesday, promising to tackle the deadlock in reunification talks on the ethnically split island. Christodoulides won the election runoff on February 12.

Besides the deadlock in reunification talks, Christodoulides inherits a labor dispute over high inflation, and what he called “exceptionally complex” irregular migration.

‘Cyprus problem’ a top priority

Christodoulides took an investiture oath in parliament. Cyprus has an executive system of government, with the power invested in the presidency and its council of ministers.

Backed by centrist and right-wing parties, Christodoulides, a foreign minister until early 2022, won 52 percent of the vote over his main rival, leftist-backed Andreas Mavroyiannis.

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“A solution to the Cyprus problem is my top priority,” he said. He met with Ersin Tatar, the Turkish Cypriot leader, last week.

Falling a little short

Christodoulides has already sailed into his first controversy by falling short on two pre-election pledges of women making up 50 percent of his cabinet and of avoiding appointments of individuals who served in past governments.

“He raised the bar, but fell short,” the opposition leftist AKEL said in a statement.

Of 25 appointments announced on Monday, 14 were male and 11 female.

Two of his ministers have served in previous administrations – Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou, who served as health minister under the government of former President Nicos Anastasiades, and Finance Minister Makis Keravnos, who served in the same post 20 years ago.